Asset tag with event detection capabilities

• US 20050195081A1
• Filed: 03/08/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ginjoint LLC
• Original Assignee: NUVO Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Morrison, Christopher S., Studnicki, Adam A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,190,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.26
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/06 Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/022 for recording
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/127 for acceleration values

Abstract

Described herein are a transient event detector comprising electrical circuitry suitable to detect a transient event, and a container having a wall with at least two electrically conductive contacts that are electrically connected to the electrical circuitry, each of the at least two electrically conductive contacts being electrically isolated from each other, and a movable electrically conductive piece that intermittently connects at least two of the at least two electrically conductive contacts when the electrically conductive piece is in motion, said movable electrically conducting piece having a mass that is low enough such that if the movable electrically conducting piece is at rest and bridges two of the at least two electrically conductive contacts no transient event is detected by the electrical circuitry, methods of use and methods of manufacture.

Claims

1. ) A transient event detector comprising a container comprising at least one detecting area located on or in at least one wall of the container and at least one movable piece contained within the container, wherein at least one of the at least one detecting areas changes state when the movable piece enters or leaves a predetermined distance from the detecting area and an electronic circuit that is suitable to detect a transient change of state of the at least one detecting area.

2. ) The transient event detector according to claim 1 wherein there are at least two movable pieces.

3. ) The transient event detector according to claim 2 where at least one of the at least two movable pieces is electronically, magnetically, chemically, physically or structurally different from at least one of the remaining movable pieces.

4. ) The transient event detector according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one event detecting areas detects electrical change events, magnetic change events, chemical change events, physical change events or structural change events.

5. ) The transient event detector according to claim 4 having at least two event detecting areas, at least one of the at least two event detecting areas being different from at least one of the remaining event detecting areas.

6. ) The transient event detector according to claim 1 wherein the container has at least two walls.

8. ) The transient event detector according to claim 1 comprising at least two walls, at least two event detecting areas, at least one of the at least two event detection areas is on or in one of the at least one wall and at least one of the at least two event detection areas is on or in another of the at least two walls, at least one of the at least two event detecting areas being different from at least one of the remaining event detecting areas and able to detect electrical change events, magnetic change events, chemical change events, physical change events or structural change events, and wherein there are at least two movable pieces and at least one of the at least two movable pieces is electronically, magnetically, chemically, physically or structurally different from at least one of the remaining movable pieces.

9. ) A transient event detector comprising electrical circuitry suitable to detect a transient event, and a container having a wall with at least two electrically conductive contacts that are electrically connected to the electrical circuitry, each of the at least two electrically conductive contacts being electrically isolated from each other, and a movable electrically conductive piece that intermittently connects at least two of the at least two electrically conductive contacts when the electrically conductive piece is in motion, said movable electrically conducting piece having a mass that is low enough such that if the movable electrically conducting piece is at rest and bridges two of the at least two electrically conductive contacts no transient event is detected by the electrical circuitry.

7. ) The transient event detector according to claim 10 where there are at least two event detection areas, at least one of the at least two event detection areas is on or in one of the at least one wall and at least one of the at least two event detection areas is on or in another of the at least two walls.

10. ) The transient event detector according to claim 9 comprising at least first, second and third electrically conductive contacts and the container is configured such that there is at least one movement barrier that prevents the movable electrically conducting piece from freely moving between a position that bridges first and second conductive contacts and a position that bridges first and third conductive contacts.

11. ) The transient event detector according to claim 10 wherein the movement barrier is the container'"'"'s configuration.

12. ) The transient event detector according to claim 11 wherein the first electrically conductive contact is located between the second and third electrically conductive contacts and the second and third electrically conductive contacts are located at opposite ends of the container.

13. ) The transient event detector according to claim 12 wherein the second and third electrically conductive contacts are parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first electrically conductive contact.

14. ) The transient event detector according to claim 12 wherein the second and third electrically conductive contacts are parallel to each other and the first conductive contact is angled relative to at least one of the second or third electrically conductive contacts.

15. ) The transient event detector according to claim 14 wherein the first conductive contact is angled relative to the second and third electrically conductive contacts.

16. ) The transient event detector according to claim 11 wherein the first and second electrically conductive contacts are on the same surface, the third electrically conductive contact is perpendicular to both the first and second electrically conductive contacts, and the first electrically conductive contact is located between the second and third electrically conductive contacts and is raised relative to the second electrically conductive contact.